How Hong Kong can build decent housing and deepen national identity

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An affordable home seems like a distant dream for many in Hong Kong, given the shortage of suitable land and the demands of numerous stakeholders. Photo: David Wong

Published: 6:30pm, 1 Aug 2018Updated: 6:30pm, 1 Aug 2018

In the provision of decent and affordable housing, Hong Kong was ahead of Singapore in the 1970s, with the launch of the Home Ownership Scheme. But Singapore very soon came from behind and overtook our city (“Why Hong Kong is no Singapore when it comes to housing and will struggle to catch up”, July 28). The question is: can Hong Kong overtake Singapore in the long run, like in the parable of the hare and the tortoise?

The debate on land supply once again shows how deep the problem is: we have so many stakeholders, the Heung Yee Kuk, property developers, indigenous residents, newcomers from the mainland, and of course the rest of the population who lack decent housing.

While we have to honour the “small-house policy” for indigenous male villagers in the New Territories, we must also maintain the daily quota of 150 arrivals from the mainland, as well as look after the interests of different sectors of society. This does seem like a tall order.

Will the 18 options in the public consultation launched by the Task Force on Land Supply be able to find workable solutions? We should be fair, transparent and, above all, we should not go against our capitalist, free-market system.

PLA land offers range of sites for housing

I believe our chief executive should approach the central government to get military land to build public housing. Reclaimed land can’t be used immediately, therefore reclamation is not a short-term solution. In fact, the British colonial government also used military land in Sham Shui Po to build public housing.

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